


Shattered

by SnowMoonyx



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 16:55:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21395539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowMoonyx/pseuds/SnowMoonyx
Summary: If only they hadn’t entered the Zonai Palace, if only they hadn’t been ambushed by their enemy, then Four would still be a whole person.OrThe group eventually learns one of Four’s most well-kept secrets, but not in a way anyone had wanted.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 102





	Shattered

"She's talking to me."

Sky's quiet voice could barely be heard over the thundering rain that seemed to fall in a constant cadence over Wild's Hyrule, but Twilight's sensitive ears caught his words. "Really?" he asked, turning around to face him in the dimly lit stable they were waiting out the rain in. Sky nodded once, his eyes unfocused as he held the Master Sword gently in his hands, his features glowing in the pale blue light illuminating the sword.

Twilight almost breathed out in relief. They had come to Wild's era the day before with no clear goal in sight, so they had taken to just wander the area, wondering just what they were supposed to be doing when they were ambushed by a storm in the middle of the lush and exotic Ebara Forest.

The others noticed Sky's trance-like stance and paused their chattering. Time called Legend and Four over from where they had stood right by the entrance, watching the rain that never seemed to stop as they were making light conversation. Sky's eyes focused again, and he looked at Wild. "She wants us to explore a dungeon in search for something to help us on our quest. Do you know about a place called the 'Zonai Palace'?"

Wild scrunched his nose, thinking. He took up his slate, and tapped around on it before his eyes lit up. "It's not a palace anymore, but we've got the Zonai Ruins a small trek from here. I think that might be the place. The Spring of Courage is there too."

"I wonder about the dungeon though, did she tell you anything more?"

Sky shook his head at Time's question. "Not much, only that we would face 'a tough challenge'. I guess we better be prepared."

"Well then. Once this rain has cleared we'll head out. Ready yourselves in the meantime."

~§~§~

They had made it to the deepest part of the ruins with surprising ease. Wild had lead the way into the forest, guiding them through the rain and telling them which patches of mud to avoid. Eventually, after zig-zagging between the trees, he could show them the goddess statue in the Spring of Courage.

"Here we are. If there's a hidden temple anywhere close by it has to be somewhere around here. Question is how do we find the entrance, if there's any at all? I never found anything of interest despite coming here a few times to look around."

Some searching occurred then, both inside the cave where the shrine laid hidden, and all over the area outside. It took an hour or so, but eventually it was Hyrule who found their first clue as he scrutinized the statue, noticing a dark spot on the ground it was placed on, looking like...

A corner of a trap door.

"I think I found the entrance," he declared, pulling out a pair of gloves and activating his braclet. The others turned around to see him pushing at the statue. It gave way slightly, but not enough. Hyrule grunted, shoving with all his might. It was futile.

"Let me help you," Time said, puling out his gauntlets. Legend and Warriors stepped forward too, their own gloves ready. The four heroes readied themselves, and with a count of "three, two, one!" they shoved at the statue, and with a screeching groan the statue slid across the ground, indeed revealing a trapdoor.

"Great job, 'Rule!" Sky said, ruffling his hair with the former smiling bashfully.

"Alright, who will have the honor of going first?"

Warriors stepped forward. "I will." Without any hesitation he opened the creaking trapdoor, revealing a stepladder going deep beneath the ground into the never ending darkness. Hyrule took out his lantern, handing it to the captain who took it with a 'thank you', fastening it to his belt as he slowly made his way down.

With a 'clear!' from Warriors a while after the rest followed him down, their company of heroes vanishing from the peaceful spring. If anyone had observed the area with care they would have noticed the goddess-statue's eyes twinkling in the light of the sun.

Down below the ruins however darkness resided. All lanterns they had got lit, Wild and Four also taking out torches. The light they provided flickered over a giant hall that stretched long before them, several doorways gracing the walls that seemed to go on forever. Shrieking of distant keese and redeads could be heard, and Legend looked at the rest of the group with a lopsided smile.

"Let's clear this dungeon, eh?"

It wasn't the first dungeon they had entered as a group, they already had three others behind them. It was definitely easier than the ones they had ventured alone during their own adventures, although they all had needed use of items across time, surprisingly enough, not relying on the set of items that was around each era.

"Right, this place doesn't seem to have just one or two ways to go, so let's split up in groups of three. Wild, you're with Sky and Warriors. Twilight, Wind and Hyrule, you three go together, and I'll go with Legend and Four. Let's rendezvous here in about three hours. Sounds good?"

They all agreed with Time, rallying together with their respective groups. With a wave they set of in different directions, each group picking a random door and disappearing through it.

A bit later a figure draped in a cloak descended from the ladder, a wicked grin on their face as the person hurried through one of the doors that were left slightly ajar, their footsteps hardly audible as they merged with the shadows.

The following hours the three groups made their way through the dungeon that seemed to grow larger and larger the further they explored it. Vile creatures were hidden around each corner, such as stalfos' and redeads, kesee flying into them and skulltulas trying to trap them in their many webs. They solved the puzzles they encountred, avoiding trapdoors and finding treasure chests with keys and rupees. Eventually their time for the meetup neared, and the three groups started making their way back to the entrance.

"Hey, you see that?" Four suddenly asked, pointing to a crack of light in the corner of the dark room, only visible from a certain angle. He went over to inspect whereas Legend crossed his arms, lightly tapping his foot impatiently.

"We're supposed to meet up right about now, we don't have time for this. We can go back and investig-"

"Aha!" With a smug smile on his face Four gently stepped on a miscoloured tile on the floor, the deviating color hardly noticeable on the aged, dusty floor. With a screech a hidden door opened, a faint light coming from the staircase that lead further down.

"Took you long enough," a gruff voice sounded, a dark figure stepping out from the shadows. "Thought you'd never find that blasted room."

"Who are you?" Time asked, taking a hold of his sword and pointing it at the person, the other two doing the same. "Answer now!" The person was at a clear disadvantage, seemingly weaponless and positioned in the middle of the three heroes, but yet they didn't seem fazed.

"Me? I'm no one at the moment, though I'll soon be the ruler of the gerudo, as a descendant of the exiled king!" He threw his hood back, the light of their torches catching in deep red hair and dark skin.

"Ganondorf!"

"I'd love to take care of you right now, but if you wait for but a while I can give you a death so much more painful, and it's all thanks to you finding that room!"

All three came to the same sudden conclusion. There had to be something in that room, something of wicked power...

They couldn't stop Four when he tensed his body, springing to the staircase and hurrying down the steps. Ganondorf yelled in anger, going after him down the stair. Before Time and Legend could do the same the entrance got sealed away, the door vanishing, leaving behind only smooth tile.

"_FOUR!_"

In hurried frenzy the two of them scourged the corner, even trying to bomb the place but nothing worked. The wall was absolute, devoid of cracks and openings, impossible to force open.

"Let's rendezvous with the others," Time suggested, "Then we can all search for another way in."

Legend gave a curt nod as his only response, lips pressed together firmly. The two hurried out the room, leaving it dark and eerily quiet.

A shrill scream resonated in the distance, but it was lost on the retreating heroes.

"Hey! Everyone! Help!" Legend yelled the moment they got back out in the hallway, spotting the rest with ease, the lanterns revealing their location. He activated his Pegasus Boots, dashing forward.

"What happened?" Warriors asked, straighten his back, body tense. "Where's Four?"

Legend sucked in a breath as he stopped in front of them, eyes wide. "He found a hidden door, leading to a room below or something, we didn't manage to catch a proper glimpse, because-"

"An incarnation of Ganondorf showed up," Time finished, coming over to stand beside Legend. "And he was after something in that room. Four ran down the stair, and Ganondorf followed after. Before either of us could, the door just disappeared. We tried to open it but the door vanished. It must have been some form of dark magic."

"So right now Four is sealed somewhere down below, alone with Ganondorf?" Twilight summarized, face pale.

Time nodded. "That's right. So we have to find another way down as fast as possible."

"I'll... go and call down Wolfie. He can sniff out something. The rest of you, start the search."

No sooner than the words left his mouth loud battle cries sounded, and monsters appeared from the many unopened doors, all targeting them.

"_Shit_. Twilight, Legend, you two run and search. The rest of you, prepare for a fight!"

With that Twilight turned around, running down the hallway, and shifting into Wolfie after turning around a corner.

He had to find Four.

~§~§~

The hallways were endless. Open one door, get greeted by another or two. Twilight was carefully sniffing everywhere, well aware that every second passed with lightning speed. He searched for minutes, that turned into quarters that turned into hours that turned into more time rushing by. Where was Four? Was he doing alright? Or was he already-

A whiff of something familiar tore in his nose. The scent of freshly baked bread and cinnamon and ripe apples, and something else he never managed to place but was, unmistakably, _Four_. So he spun around, hyperfocusing on the scent, following it as it grew stronger and stronger down the hallway. Stalfos' and Kesee appared left and right but he ran past them, only concentrating on the scent. He had to find Four. He had to.

He rounded another corner, the smell suddenly exploding. This was it.

Through the door he went. And he was greeted by Ganondorf.

The gerudo was laying still on the floor of the dark room, blood leaking from his body, colouring the dusty floor a murky red colour. Twilight cringed at the sight and the smell, before catching a glimpse of something lying on what seemed like an altar further into the room. He changed form to human, running forward and leaving the corpse behind, hoping, _praying_, that Four hadn't suffered a similar fate. He leaped up the three steps before skidding to a halt.

_Fuck_.

Four looked horrible.

He laid completely still, not moving a finger, eyes dull and tunic stained with blood, a small pool of red beneath him. With his breath hitching Twilight knelt down, fingers shaking as he checked for a pulse. His eyes scanned over the marred face, his chest growing tight as he took it all in. Four's headband had been cut in two and laid uselessly on the floor, a nasty cut running all the way from his cheek, over the nose and up past his eyebrow. But the worst part was that he was so, so pale.

A steady pulse thrummed against his fingers. Twilight's chest eased up a bit. "Hey, Four, wake up," he pleaded, lightly patting his cheek. The skin was cold beneath his fingers. The dull eyes slowly moved, flashing between blue and violet before fading to the normal black.

"...Twi?"

A sigh of relief rushed out of Twilight. "You're awake, thank the goddesses. Here, drink this." He uncorked a health potion, helping Four up in a sitting position and making him drink it. With it the wounds closed some, and a little more colours returned to his cheeks but he saw the way his limbs trembled.

"Can you stand? We have to get you out of here."

Four turned his eyes to him, confusion clouding them as he seemed to piece together what was happening, his eyes red-rimmed, dried tear-tracks down his cheeks. "I don't know, but I'll try." His voice was raspy.

Four pushed himself up into a sitting position first, gritting his teeth. He had to take a moment to breathe, bursts of intense pain flaring through his body. He put his legs beneath him, slowly standing up with Twilight's support. Four was already trembling, and when he tried to walk he all but collapsed into Twilight's arms.

"I can't," he gasped. Twilight hummed.

"Alright. I'll change into wolf form. Climb onto me and hold on tight. I'll get us out of here."

Four nodded, sitting down on a broken pillar as Twilight transformed once more.

It took Four a few attempts to get on, even with Twilight doing his best to help by crouching down and nudging him, but eventually they were ready to go. Four clung to Twilight's fur, laying flat across his back, blood tinting the strands a dark red as it seeped through from the few wounds that hadn't closed completely. The elder was sticking to the shadows, taking care to not make any noise. He could easily have taken on the redeads alone, but with Four in such a vulnerable state he couldn't take the risk.

Eventually they made it out into the main hall where most of the others were putting up a good fight. Warriors caught sight of them first with a brief glimpse of vivid horror visible on his face before he nodded once and turned around, silently informing the others as he drew the attention of their enemies in the opposite direction of them. Wind and Hyrule separated from the group, fighting their way to them. Wind thanked Wolfie before Hyrule activated his bracelet, hoisting Four onto his own back. Wind climbed up the stepladder first, calling down 'clear' after making sure no enemies waited for them on the ground above,

"You ready?" he asked Four who gave him an affirmative mumble before Hyrule slowly started climbing up too with the other hero clinging to him. Twilight stayed and fought off any enemies that tried to follow. When Hyrule and Four was out of sight he transformed, following the trio.

"Wha- Twilight? Where's Wolfie?" was the first thing that Wind said when he caught sight of him climbing up and out. "Is he going to be able to get out?"

The rain was once more pouring down from the sky, effectively soaking them to the bone

"Don't worry, he manages just fine. Let's find a place to set up camp. And be sure to let the rest know where we are later."

Four was already shivering much more from the cold rain, so Twilight found a cloak, draping it around him before they started walking. As they made their way to what Wild had previously mentioned as a good spot to camp Four faded in and out of consciousness from where he was mostly limp on Hyrule's back.

"You know," he eventually said, voice stumbling through his words, almost drowned out in the thundering rain. "This whole courageous hero thing, it, it just seems so bleak to me."

"What do you mean?" Wind asked, confusion painting his voice. Four sighed, laying his head on Hyrule's shoulder.

"I don't know, I just... I've been through plenty of adventures myself, right? And I've encountered tough enemies, sure. I've been scared but I never... Well, it was never an option to back down. But before you found me, I- I almost did. After we went down to the room Ganondorf immediately took a hold of this pale blue crystal, and with it he gained... Immense power. It was overwhelming, and filled me with fright. I spl- I fought back, of course I did but the gemstone was a bearer of some sort of power and it got to me, turned wicked by Ganondorf. We- _I_ crumbled to the ground, and Ganondorf stepped forward, and somehow I decided that that was it, that I wouldn't get out of this death sentence. Then Gre- _I_ swung my sword, and somehow I hit him, and then I could fight back. But instead of triumph I felt... terror. I felt wrong, and split, and shattered. I killed him, and crushed the stone into dust, but I felt so scared. I collapsed on the ground, and I kept thinking that he would stand back up, finishing off the rest of me. He didn't, but-" Four's voice hitched, and he burrowed his face in Hyrule's neck. "I still am. Scared. I'm _terrified_. And I know for a fact that I can't ever connect with my courage again."

The three heroes didn't know what to say, didn't know how to comfort Four as the hero trembled in Hyrule's grip, his silent tears screaming in their ears. They feared for what he had seen, his words leaving them rattled and cold inside. What had the gemstone done to him? They all reached the same conclusion; healing Four wasn't going to be easy, if they would be able to do so at all.

~§~§~

Four laid completely still, curled in on himself, almost hidden in the cluster of blankets and cloaks he was burrowed beneath. Hyrule was sitting close to him, eyes occasionally finding their way to him before going back to the book in his lap. (He had been learning how to read from Legend who shared his letters, and so he did his best to keep up.) Twilight was cleaning his sword, a deep frown etched between his eyebrows while Wind sat upon a rock not too far away from Four, eyes open and keeping watch. He grinned when he saw them, but even from a distance it looked forced.

"You're back!"

Time made sure to smile back before he turned to their resident healer. "Hyrule, are you up to more healing or did you use your magic on Four?"

Hyrule considered it. "It depends on how hurt you are. I used up some, but if you have an extra potion to spare and not too deep wounds I'd gladly help."

Legend rummaged through his bag, pulling up a flask in triumph. "Got one!"

Hyrule nodded. "Alright, who's the unlucky ones?"

Legend gave the bottle to Hyrule, and both Warriors and Wild stepped over, stripping out of their armor and tunics. Wild had an ugly but shallow gash down his back, and Warriors sported a broken wrist and a bruised shoulder.

As Hyrule worked on his magic Time stepped over to Twilight, making a motion towards Four. "How is he?" he asked.

Twilight sighed, putting down his sword and looking up at Time. "Not good. He's bruised all over and could barely stand when I fetched him. His left arm was broken and he had a deep cut along his leg but they are mostly healed. No, it's the mental scars that are the worst. Four, he lost his confidence. He said he can't ever tap into his courage again."

The camp quieted at his words. "Oh?"

Twilight looked down at his hands, clenching his fists. "I've never seen him like that. He seemed so broken, so detached from reality and his voice... To be honest, I hope I'll never hear him like that again. It sent knives through my heart."

"What happened?" Sky asked, voice barely above a whisper. "What made him say that?"

Twilight shook his head. "I honestly don't know. Four said it was because Ganondorf had him trapped and he could see his death in front of himself, but I'm sure there was something more. Something he didn't say. Whatever it was it happened before I could get to him. I'm afraid for what that could've been."

"Oh."

The days passed quietly after that, for the most part. New portals to travel through hadn't appeared just yet, and with no goal in the sight they presumed that Hylia herself had taken pity on Four, allowing them all some time to heal up.

Four was oddly... Quiet. Of course, he had never been the most talkative among them but after arriving back from the temple he hardly said a word a day, silently shaking or nodding his head when given questions. He outright refused to answer them on what had exactly occurred during his fight with Ganondorf. He mostly just sat quietly in his bedroll or leaning against a tree, nibbling on whatever food Wild had forced into his hands, with a heartbreaking sad look on his face. But even so he didn't open up to them, not even to Wind who really tried his hardest to cheer him up. So the days passed by quietly, while they all pondered on how to best help this ghost of a person they once knew.

And then came that one night.

That one night, while Warriors kept watch, looking out in the darkness that never changed, but they kept up watch nonetheless, if only to have something to do. The air was quiet, devoid of noise except for the occasional critters lurking past, running away upon noticing the flickering flames from the campfire. It was so quiet that when the first, smallest sob sounded, Warriors was instantly alert, whipping around to the direction it came from.

The culprit was Four, more sniffles escaping him proving the fact. Warriors made his way over, nudging Twilight when he passed him. They should always have eyes on their surroundings, and besides, it was less than an hour until the farmer's turn anyway. Said hero stirred, and Warriors continued to stride over to the small bundle close to the campfire.

Closing in, Four made more noise. His usual still limbs suddenly jerked, and his body started trembling. The sobs and sniffles changed into broken words.

"I-I can't do it- I can't- no, please! Green, don't-"

Warriors sat down beside Four, placing a hand on his shoulder, an uncertain look in his eyes. "He's sweating," he relayed to Twilight who had gotten up from his bed, a question hanging unsaid in the air between them.

Warriors eyed the red flush on Four's skin. The small hero whimpered in response to the hand on his shoulder and Warriors softened his voice. "Hey, it's okay. You're okay."

Four's eyes fluttered open and locked with Warriors'. A few seconds passed in silence as Four held his gaze before tears welled down his cheeks and Warriors dragged him up, hugging him tightly as Four cried silent tears into his shoulder, fingers clutching at his tunic. The young hero was gasping for air, and Twilight looked away, unable to witness such a display of raw emotion, instead training his eyes on the calm terrain around them.

Time and Hyrule both stirred, but didn't say anything to let Four know they were awake.

"I'm sorry," Four whispered when his cries eventually quelled, hiding his face in the crook of Warriors' neck, "I'm so sorry."

"Hey now, where's this coming from? You've nothing to be sorry for," Warriors insisted, rubbing Four's back gently.

Four didn't answer, just held onto Warriors. He fell asleep like that, and Warriors couldn't do anything but lay him back down, feeling his heart break at the dried tear-tracks on his cheeks.

The next day however, Four was back to normal- well, close to it. Actually, the normal he was when they first met up. He refused to say anything about what was going on with him, but he got to his feet, seeming more energetic. He moved around, and occasionally joined the conversations when he had something important to say. He didn't join in small talk. He didn't smile. But, all in all, he seemed... Healthy. Hyrule wanted to doubt his words when he said he felt better, people didn't just _get_ better that fast, but then a portal appeared during the day and they had to accept it. If Hylia herself deemed Four healed enough for them to move on, they couldn't really question it. In the end they chalked it up to Four's outburst of emotions the night prior, that it acted some sort of catalyst that allowed him to heal up properly.

And so they stepped through the portal, going with it. It wasn't like they had much choice.

And so their normal, on-the-road life continued. They eventually got used to this more reserved version of Four, although he wasn't as easy to work with. For instance, his teamwork was suddenly terrible. Instead of working with the rest of the group in the way he was so good at he constantly charged ahead on his own, taking care of a lot of monsters on his own. It wasn't effective, as three enemies would easily overwhelm him, and they had to come to his aid while battling off monsters on their own at the same time. Several potions went to healing him up.

They cornered him later, asking him what the hell he was thinking. "That wasn't like you at all. What's going on with you?"

Four scoffed, an unfamiliar, harsh look on his face. "What are you talking about? That was exactly like me. It just wasn't _all_ of me."

He didn't say anything more to help clarify his words, so they had to let the topic drop. Again.

But as previously stated they slowly got used to this new Four, and worked around his refusal of doing proper teamwork. They didn't bother trying to pull him into their lighthearted conversations, only included him when discussing their plans forward. He isolated himself, and they were helpless to do anything about it.

They tried their best to ignore the way he would silently cry at night to himself, giving them the cold shoulder when trying to comfort him.

They tried their best to ignore how he started to look weaker again, just like he was a few weeks ago.

They tried their best. They shouldn't have.

~§~§~

It was a vicious battle. Several moblins had jumped them at once along with an army of keese, and with their sight clouded they had done what they could best- respond by attacking back. The heroes all ran forward as one, slashing and cutting at the enemies that surrounded them everywhere, bringing down lots of keese. A bit into the battle most keese had dropped dead to the ground, and their surroundings became clearer. Legend looked over to where Four was battling against two moblins on his own, situated a bit away from the rest of them as per usual. But Legend had just fought off his own enemies, and he had a clear view, and so he noticed the exact moment when Four's hand twitched and his sword clattered to the ground, the noise sort of echoing through the loud battlefield. Without a second thought to the moblin that was coming his way Legend activates his boots, rushing towards the defenseless hero, feeling anger flare through his body. Why was he so stupid!? Why couldn't Four just revert back to normal!?

Legend barreled into a moblin, effectively killing it with his sword piercing through its stomach. Immediately he swung his sword into the second, killing it within seconds. Turning towards the third, he stopped in his tracks.

Four had crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

With a scream of pure rage Legend thrusted his sword forward, piercing the heart of the third beast.

Legend breathed heavily as he watched the light fade from the moblin's eyes, and he pulled his sword back, sheathing it in its scabbard. He knelt down, the battle around them dying down.

Four was now trembling like a leaf. At least that meant he was still alive. And his eyes were still open, staring straight at him and-

Oh. That was the most anguished look Legend had ever seen on a person before. The expression stabbed him in the gut, but Four's eyes were red, clouded with a look of pure regret. As Legend's eyes was locked with Four's he saw the moment the red faded away to black, and Four's eyes rolled back in his head, his body going limp, as if his soul had left his body.

Legend was unaware of the tears rolling down his own cheeks.

"-egend? Legend! What's wrong with Four!?"

Legend snapped back from his daze, leaning forward and pressing his fingers towards Four's neck. His skin was cool and clammy, but there was still a pulse there.

Despite it all, Four was still alive.

~§~§~

They found a place to set up camp not long after, once again having to care for Four. Hyrule was immensely frustrated. Despite looking all over Four he found no sign of injury or even a hint of an illness, and despite trying to use his heal spell nothing happened. His magic wasn't even drained, signaling that Four was somehow perfectly healthy despite unexplainable fainting. So in the end he just had to let Four be, joining the others in eating, playing the waiting game.

A few hours later Four woke up. And Legend had _enough_.

He allowed Sky to try and ask him, once more, what was going on. Four turned away, lips firmly sealed shut and looking like he was seconds away from crying, and Legend surged forward. Something had grown in Legend's chest, had done so since the whole Ganondorf fiasco, a white-hot flame that filled his chest to the brim, threatening to suffocate him. He wanted to roar. He wanted to track down Ganondorf, he wanted to break the demon lord the same way he had broken Four. He wanted to yell at the others, taking it out on them for not fighting hard enough when it mattered. He wanted to hit himself, chiding himself for not being there for Four when he needed them, needed him the most, but most of all he wanted to scream in Four's face. So he did. He took a tight hold of Four's shoulders, looking straight into his eyes, eyes that usually held so much hidden wisdom and an understanding of the world but now were clouded over, burned out and blank.

"What the hell is your deal!? You're putting the weight of the world on your shoulders, carrying way too much on your own! What makes you think that you're so entitled? Do you think we are weak in comparison? Why don't you _open up to us!?"_

Hyrule reached over, alarmed, gripping Legend's shoulder. "Hey, I don't think you should-"

"Fuck off Hyrule," Legend snarled, shoving his hand away. "He needs to hear this!"

Hyrule looked to Time and Twilight for help but the eldest of their company just shook his head. Twilight wrung his hands, a bit unsure when he said "If it gets much worse we'll step in."

Legend continued, a hand on Four's chin, forcing him to look at him when he tried to get away. "Don't you know how much all of us have gone through? How strong we all are for holding up? And look at us! At me and Hyrule who lives in a timeline where Time failed us! Are we screaming at him, chiding him for not being able to defeat the evil? Is he grovelling on his knees, crying about being sorry? Is Warriors throwing himself on the ground for all the ones he failed in his war, of the thousands of knights in his army that could have lived if he had been just a bit stronger, just a bit smarter? Am I clawing at my chest, throwing everything away after removing an entire island from existence, wiping out a whole settlement of people? No, we're not! We've learnt dealing with this pain, we've come to terms that we aren't always perfect! We aren't able to save everyone, we can't finish a war in a day! So you don't get to sit here, moping about and feeling sorry for yourself when there's so much to keep fighting for! Keep going! Find your courage, your strength, and hold it tight, don't ever let it slip away again!" Legend was heaving for air when he finished, tears sliding down his cheeks as Four's eyes stared into his, wide and blue and...

Angry.

"You don't get it," Four hissed, shoving Legend away. "I can't tap into my courage because I don't have it anymore! That part of me is dead! It's gone for good! Green is dead, and Red is dead, and it's our's fault and there's nothing we can do! I'm not a whole person anymore, I'll never be so again because we two failed them!"

Legend quieted, eyes showing his confusion. "What are you talking about? Who is Green? And Red? And what do you mean 'we two'?"

Four's livid face faded back to defeated, and he sunk together, holding a hand out. "Give me my sword. I guess it's time I reveal a secret of mine."

Warriors handed it to him, although a bit hesitant, and Four's hand closed around the hilt. He held it close, and his shoulders slumped, keeping his eyes on the sword.

Studying it now, they saw cracks in the gemstone decorating the hilt.

Four started to tell his story and they all listened to him, not saying a word.

"This blade was originally known as the Picori blade, made by the minish for the hero of men to fight off evil. With it he sealed the enemies away in the sword, and for decades all was well. Hyrule was a peaceful place."

Four clenched his hand around the hilt. "Then... One day, the wicked mage Vaati came along, and he shattered the sword in search of the light force. The light force was an artifact made by the minish long ago, granting its wielded immense power, kind of the same way the triforce would."

"During my first adventure I had to find the essence of the four elements and fuse them into the blade to reforge it and let it regain power. For each new element I fused in the blade I could create a copy of myself when I stepped on some magic tiles. These copies disappeared after a short while, but at the most I had three copies that would mimic my every movement. Either way, I sealed Vaati with the sword after defeating him. We thought peace would stay after that, but as I've got the sword with me now you can all see that didn't work out."

Four sighed, closing his eyes, looking like he didn't want to remember his past. "A year or so later Zelda wanted to go check on the seal to make sure nothing had happened, and a shadow of me appeared, attacking her and the Seven Sages that came with us. In an attempt to protect them, I pulled the sword. Just then, something happened to me"

Four opened his eyes, letting them wander over the eight pairs of eyes that were looking back at him, captured by his story. "Vaati, during his imprisonment in the sword, had somehow managed to temper with its powers. The sword, instead of making simple copies of me, split me into four, each of them an equal part of me but representing different aspects. Blue is the ability to take decisions on the fly, and the rasher, more impulsive part of me. Violet is my calm and intelligent side. Red is... was my emotional side, where my sadness and my love resided. And Green was my courageous part, the cornerstone that kept us together as a team, as a whole person."

Slowly they all were reaching conclusions at this new information. Connecting bits and pieces of the past weeks with red yarn, chalking it up.

They didn't want to believe the answer they reached.

Four looked back down on his sword. "Well, since then I've had the ability to split into four at will when wielding the Four Sword. When I got separated from you back in the temple, battling Ganondorf on my own I did that. I split into four. But something happened while we fought... Well, I guess I'd rather show you."

Four closed his eyes, his grip on the sword tight, and with a bright light he divided. When the light faded two versions of Four sat in front of them.

Wind opened his mouth, confusion in his voice. "But I thought you said four?"

The one in violet nodded, eyes downcast, while the blue one was fidgeting with his hands, looking pale. The violet one spoke up. "When we were separated from you, Green d-died by Ganondorf's hand. It was when Red suddenly froze up, overcome by terror. His sword had fallen to the ground, and he just stood there, and Green, using his courage, jumped in front of him, giving Ganondorf a fatal blowin the process. But Ganondorf returned the favor, and within seconds Green was, he was, _dead_. Since then I, _we_, haven't been whole. And Red has been overcome by guilt all along. We, Blue and I, that is, did our best to keep him up and going, and ourselves too. But Red couldn't handle it, so in the battle just now he couldn't hang on anymore. He... faded away from life. He just gave up l-living."

Hyrule and Sky had tears in their eyes, and Wild and Warriors held a hand up in front of their mouth, shocked at the reveal. Legend was the one to speak up first.

"By Din's fire you guys, that's horrible! Why didn't you tell us anything before? We could've helped you before it was too late!"

The violet one shrugged. "You were never supposed to find out about this ability in the first place. We tried our best to keep up, to remain sane, but, ah. You can see how that didn't work out."

Before Legend could reply back the blue version of Four jumped to his feet, eyes crazed as he locked onto one of Wild's discarded swords. He ran to it, grabbing it by the hilt, and before anyone could do anything at all to prevent it he drove it through his heart, crumpling to the ground with a relieved smile on his face.

"_Four!_" Hyrule and Wind shot to their feet, running over to the blue part of Four hoping they could do something, but it was too late. The sword had pierced his heart cleanly, crumbling to pieces and leaving the wound open. Blue had died within seconds.

The rest turned stunned eyes to the violet one. The last part of Four had frozen, eyes wide, looking at the blue one with a confused look before it slowly gave way to an understanding, somber one. He turned back to the rest of the Links.

"Don't be so surprised, Blue has always been close to Red. Honestly, I think you should just forget about me- about us. We might be four, or five different people, but we're also one. And three parts of four couldn't make up a whole person no matter how much we tried, less alone two, or, well, one. I think you should look at my stories as an explanation, and a way for us to say sorry for causing you so much trouble. That's over now, though. You needn't worry about us anymore."

Warriors looked alarmed, his body tensing, eyeing the corpse of the blue one who slowly faded away. "You're not gonna..."

Vio relaxed his shoulders, looking up and past them with a regretful smile, vibrant eyes clouding over with tears that had yet to fall. "I don't need to," he whispered, staring at nothing. "He's already here to bring me to them. We'll always be there to watch over you."

And as they watched him in silence they could see the last part of Four lose what little there was left of life in his eyes, the tears finally rolling down his cheeks. He tipped and fell over, and Legend swore he saw the shadow beneath him flicker and disappear before the body did the same, fading away from existence.

And that marked the day when Four died, and their company was reduced to eight.

~§~§~

The next day five flowers had grown in the place the last part of Four had occupied before his death, each painted in a different colour; green, red, blue, violet and black.

And the next time they stepped through a portal they were greeted by five butterflies in the same palette, following them around the entire time. And in the next era five dragonflies flew around them, keeping track of their journey. In the one thereafter five foxes showed up in the middle of the night, warning them of monsters lurking in the shadow.

And through the grief, and through the sadness, came a mellow warmth, a promise from the smallest hero that he hadn't left them completely, that he was still watching over them.

~§~§~

"Hey, this is a nice place! Anyone want to claim it?"

The warm colors of autumn was surrounding them, with yellows and oranges and reds all around after stepping through another portal. A surprisingly peaceful atmosphere was around them, a quiet serenity. No one spoke up to claim ownership, only looked around in awe at the beautiful place. They came upon a lake, opening up from the forest, and across it they could see a castle and a town before it. Critter ran all around them, and five birds circled around them, shortly after joined by a sixth in a lighter blue colour.

"Wait, isn't this Zeffa?" Sky asked, voice soft as he held out a hand. The bird gently landed on it, looking at him with curious eyes.

"It is," Time said, walking over, looking at the bird with gentle eyes. "Then that means that this is Four's homeworld."

A somber quiet fell over them, before the bird on Sky's hand took off, pecking on his cloak, lightly dragging on it.

"I, uh, thinks she wants us to follow?"

The five other birds chirped at his words, and so the group of heroes set to follow the little blue bird.

It took a few hours of walking, but eventually they came to a hidden entrance, deep inside the forest. Twilight opened the intricate door, and they entered into a large hall, pillars of trees holding up the roof of leaves above, sunlight streaming through. In the middle of the room a pedestal of sorts stood, and upon inspecting it they recognized it as one meant for a sword.

Warriors gasped, opening up his bag and pulling out a bundle of cloth. He unfurled it, revealing it as Four's sword. He had kept the last one, the one that hadn't disappeared with the rest of him, unable to just let it lay around or throw it away. He looked at the rest of them who nodded at him. He readyied himself to place down the sword when Wind rushed forward, lightly tugging at Warriors arm.

"Can- can I be the one to do it?"

Warriors stopped his movement, and turned his head to smile gently at the youngest hero. Wind had by far been the most shaken by Four's death, but had really tried his best to stay strong. Warriors handed him the sword.

"Of course," he said, ruffling Wind's hair and stepping away.

Wind held the bandage-clad hilt of the well-used sword tightly, closing his eyes with a deep breath.

This was it. This would be their last goodbye to Four.

He opened his eyes, delicately placing the sword in the pedestal. A burst of colour came from the stone, a five-coloured breeze rushing through the room, ringing with faint laughter and followed by a quiet 'thank you'. Then the colors faded, and Zeffa was the only bird left, the five others gone.

The heroes stood still for a minute, paying their last respect to their late brother, before turning around and walking out, leaving the sword behind.

"Goodbye Four."


End file.
